Stater: Head of Bearded Herakles (obverse); Horse (reverse)
Unknown Artist
389–369 BCE
Medium
silver
Dimensions
diam. 2.1 cm
Classification
Coins
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1916.990
About this artwork
An older, bearded Herakles wears his lion-skin on the obverse of this coin, surrounded by a beaded border. On the reverse, a horse stands within an incuse square, where the inscription ΑΜΥΝ ΤΑ identifies King Amyntas III as ruler. The pairing of head and horse extends back to the earlier Macedonian king Archelaus (413-399 BC), though a young male head sometimes takes the place of Herakles.